Q :: What is Art Glass, stained glass and leaded glass?

Stained glass is technically a material. It's glass that is colored with added minerals or by painting on colors. However, stained glass also gets used to describe the windows, panels or pieces of art created from the colored glass.

Leaded glass refers to the construction method of using metal (usually a lead alloy, but also zinc, brass or copper) to assemble the glass pieces together. Leaded glass is sometimes confused with lead glass, which is glass, like crystal, that contains lead. There is no lead in our glass.

Q :: How do you make a stained glass panel?

Check outOur Processpage! We currently have two designers, a project manager and four artisans on staff who bring yourvision to life.

Q :: do you work directly with the homeowner?

We work with designers and contractors, or directly with their clients. If you are an individual homeowner, no job is too small! Feel free to contact us to get started.

Q :: Can you give me a quote?

To properly quote your project, we'll need an idea of what kind of design you or your client is looking for, quantity and dimensions, what kind of glass you'd like to use (clear textures, colored glass, opaque glass, antique glass, bevels, rondels, etc.), and whether you would like the art glass triple-insulated. We'll also factor in delivery and installation if that is a service you would need as well. Sometimes clients won't know any of these details yet, and that's ok! Let's figure it out together in a consultation, and then we can give you a better idea of pricing:

Pricing for a leaded glass panel is typically based on the complexity of the design and type of glass/materials used. Straight lines and geometrics are at the lower end; organics and nature scenes are toward the higher end. A quote stands for 60 days as material pricing can change or materials can be discontinued.

Q :: do you charge for a consultation?

We do not charge for your initial consultation, whether in our studio or on-site in the SF Bay Area (there is a travel cost for distant clients). There will be a nominal Design & Consultation charge on your final invoice which covers any additional design consultation(s), the glass selection consultation, and time that it takes for us to design your project.

Q :: can you work on a budget?

Of course! Projects with unusual specifications have unique pricing, but most projects fall into a predictable range of sq ft pricing, so if you have a budget in mind that you want to stick to, we can design to that budget as well as only offer glass samples within that budget. Within a particular design, the glass and material choices can bump the cost up or down.

Q :: what is your lead time?

There are three phases to creating your art glass panel: Design, Fabrication, and Installation. Lead time varies based on the complexity of your design + quantity of panels, as well as how many projects are in our current production queue. We can begin design with rough dimensions, but cannot begin production until we have exact measurements and all of your materials have been received.

Design : After a design consultation either at our studio or on-site at your home, you'll enter our design queue. We’ll email you a few design options as well as pricing. We can also do an on-site consultation at your home with a full-size print out to mock up the design in your actual space. The time in Design Stage depends on amount of back-and-forth to confirm designs, but is typically 2-3 weeks.

Fabrication : Once designs are confirmed, you’ll come to the studio to pick or confirm glass selection. Once we receive your 50% deposit, we’ll place any necessary orders for glass, and once all materials are delivered, your lead time typically ranges from 3 weeks to 5 weeks, but is subject to change based on our current production queue. Special order materials require extra time up front to receive. Insulated art glass requires extra time for the glazing to cure.

Q :: What do I need to tell my contractor?

Let your builders know that they are free to build to any size, and we'll take measurements off whatever they build. There are no sizing constraints from us other than ensuring that your frame's pocket is deep enough to allow for the thickness of your panel. (1/4" if single-pane, and typically 5/8" - 1" if triple-insulated).

While we prefer to install your art glass ourselves so we can be 100% responsible for the entire process, we can be supply-only if you would like for your contractor to do the installation. In most installations, we'll require two sets of wood stops - one fixed set, and one loose set. This part can get confusing if this isn't your line of work, so at this point we'll connect directly with your contractor.

q :: What does triple-insulating/energy efficient mean?

You may have heard of dual-pane windows? Triple-insulated leaded glass is essentially triple-pane. Triple-insulating means we sandwich and seal the single-pane leaded glass panel between 2 pieces of clear glass (typically tempered) using foam desiccant spacers and urethane to create a single insulated unit, all of which is done in-house. These insulated units are 5/8″ thick to 1″ thick (or thicker) depending on the installation specifications.

Insulating offers the bonus benefits of increased energy efficiency, security, noise reduction, and easier cleaning. Alternatively, single-pane applications also have their perks in that you can feel the leaded glass and it provides a more traditional, purist look. Both new and existing art glass can be insulated, whether it was created by us or not. Often times it makes sense to insulate repaired art glass to prevent further damage from age or accident.

Pricing for insulation is sq ft based and includes the cost of the glass, the insulating materials, and the labor to build the units. It will extend your project's lead time by a week or more, depending on the weather. (If it is raining or has recently rained, we cannot insulate because moisture will get locked inside of the panel.)

Q :: Do you do installations?

Yes! Installing art glass requires knowledge and experience. We use only our own licensed and bonded journeyman glaziers to install our art glass — both new and those we’ve repaired.

Art glass is an investment and proper installation assures it will be enjoyed for decades to come.

Unless you have a contractor/handyman in mind, we prefer to install your art glass ourselves so we can be 100% responsible that all goes well. We will deliver to the job site, remove any existing pieces of glass (and discard it unless you want to keep it), and install the new leaded glass panels.

For exterior windows, especially if the panels are insulated, we strongly highly recommend using our own contracted glaziersinstalling the art glass ourselves using our highly skilled glaziers. It takes a particular level of skill and expertise with art glass to takes very skilled glaziers to install insulated panels in a way that prevents any future issue. We offer our 5-year warranty on insulated panels, but only if our glaziers do the installation.

Q :: do you do repairs?

Yes! We care deeply about preserving the legacy of glass artists who came before us. Check out our repairs content on Repair and Restoration info page and gallery for more information.